


Give of Yourself

by CoffeeJay



Series: Rare Pairs and Requests [4]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Hetalia Countries Using Human Names, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Light Angst, M/M, One Shot, Seriously don't be scared of the tags, Starvation, These tags make this look much darker than it is I swear, Yao's love language is food
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-08
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-11-13 18:04:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18036251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffeeJay/pseuds/CoffeeJay
Summary: There hasn't been quite enough to go around.  Yao and Ivan are both very stubborn.





	Give of Yourself

**Author's Note:**

> Set vaguely in the last century or two during some sort of food shortage. On that note: if you have an easily triggered ED, please tread lightly!

“You need to eat,” Yao said--begged, really, but Ivan wasn’t budging.

“I really don’t, technically speaking,” he argued, doggedly ignoring the steaming bowl that his stomach was screaming for.  “I’ll come back to life if my body starves. I cannot say the same for my people.”

“And I cannot feed all your people,” Yao told him, the cumulative irritation and worry from the last few weeks snowballing in the force behind his voice.  “Eat.”

Ivan let out a long, hot breath.

“I know you’re hungry,” Yao went on.

“Starving, actually,” Ivan bleakly replied.  “But there is nothing you can give me that will make that go away.”  He shook his head at Yao and added, “You know that.”

“It can dull the pain for an hour,” Yao desperately insisted.  His concern made Ivan ache almost as much as his people’s hunger did.  

Almost.

“If you want to help,” said Ivan, “feed my people.  I can’t take this.” As gently as he had spoken, he pushed the bowl across the table.

Yao shoved it back at him the next instant.  “I won’t watch you die again,” he said, fire in the set of his jaw.  

Ivan cast his cloudy gaze out the window.  The sun was setting between the trees.

A curse slipped out between Yao’s clenched teeth.  “Fine,” he huffed. “Here.” He slid his own bowl to rest beside Ivan’s.  “Eat one. Take the other home and feed your neighbor.”

Ivan let out a breath and closed his eyes.  “What will you eat?” he asked, nearly whispering.  “You barely have enough as it is.”

“I’ll fast until the morning,” Yao replied.  “I’m not the one starving.”

“You’re not far off,” Ivan pointed out in a pained breath.

“Oh, but there’s nothing I can eat that will fix that,” Yao tartly answered him.  “I’m feeding my neighbor instead.”

Ivan wanted to protest, but when he opened his mouth, nothing came out but a sigh and the words, “You’ve made a hypocrite out of me.”

Yao sipped his tea and said, “That was rather the point, dear.”

The bowls stared up at Ivan, accusing, growing cold.

At last, he relented.

“What a stubborn thing you are,” Ivan murmured, pushing a bowl across the table for the last time before picking up his chopsticks.

Yao waited until Ivan took a bite-- and it was still warm, in spite of the wait-- before eyeing his own bowl and asking, “What, do you want me to pack this up for you?”

“I’m feeding my neighbor,” Ivan drawled around a mouthful.

Yao stood to go and make a parcel for him.

“Yao,” Ivan huffed, halting him.  “You are my neighbor. Eat.” 

Something like smugness spread across Yao’s features as he settled back down and began to eat.  “I think I’m a little more than your neighbor,” he said after a bite.

“A mere technicality,” said Ivan.

Yao laughed.

It sounded like relief.

“Thank you,” Ivan murmured over the clink of utensils and dishes.

“Take care of yourself,” Yao simply replied.

“Clearly I have you to do it for me.”

“Don’t press your luck.”

**Author's Note:**

> I do take requests >>> hetaliapurgatory.tumblr.com/ask  
> 


End file.
